BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2016 
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY
ALL TIMES ARE IN EASTERN STANDARD TIME

4.6 INCHES OF FLUFFY SNOW FALLS OVERNIGHT,
SUNNY, COLD AND WINDY MLK JR. DAY

Snow, which began light with flurries late yesterday afternoon,
turned steadier toward early evening. Eventually, as snow came
to an end this morning, 4.6 inches of light fluffy snow was recorded
on top of Great Blue Hill. Winds kicked up from the W to WNW following
the end of snowfall as conditions began to clear. 

Temperatures have been gradually dropping from the upper 20s
last evening through the lowers 20s this morning. By today's
1:00 PM EST observation skies were mostly clear with few
cumulus and stratocumulus in all directions. A few mountain
snow showers were lingering to the NW-NNW limiting visibility
to 60 miles. Elsewhere, visibility was 80 miles. Winds had
picked up significantly, and had reached a peak so far of
46 MPH from the WNW.


Today's Observations:

7 A.M.
Weather: Light snow, fog
Temperature: 25F; Dew Point: 25F; Wind: WSW at 7 kts
Sea-level pressure: 29.58 ins. Hg, about the same as 3 hrs ago
Visibility: 1/2 of a mile, light snow and fog
6-hr Max temp: 26F 
6-hr Min temp: 25F
24-hr precip: 0.25 ins.
24-hr snowfall: 4.6 ins.
Snow depth: 5 ins.
BHO SA 1155 W4 X 1/2S-F 018/25/25/2507/958/ NEW SNW PST 24 HRS 4.6 INS/ 
8//// 4/005 55003 ASOS 60014 70023 MANUAL 70025 10026 20025

10 A.M.
Weather: Scattered altocumulus, scattered cirrus,
few cumulus distant in all directions
Temperature: 21F; Dew Point: 16F; Wind: WNW at 17G28 kts,
Peak Wind: 29 kts W at 9:34 AM EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.61 ins. Hg, rising then falling but higher still
Visibility: 60 miles
3-hr snowfall: Trace
3-hr precip: Trace
BHO SA 1455 60 SCT 250 SCT 60 027/21/16/2917G28/961/ 
FEW CU DSNT ALQDS NEW SNW PST 3 HRS TRACE PK WND 2829/34/ 
8/131 50009 MANUAL 6000/

1 P.M.
Weather: Clear, few cumulus/stratocumulus in all directions,
showers distant NW-NNW
Temperature: 25F; Dew Point: 7F; Wind: W at 25G40 kts,
Peak Wind: 40 knots WNW at 12:50 PM EST
Sea-level pressure: 29.58 ins. Hg, falling, then more slowly 
Visibility: 80 miles, except 60 miles NW-NNW, showers distant
6-hr Max temp: 25F
6-hr Min temp: 21F
6-hr snowfall: Trace
6-hr precip: Trace
BHO SA 1755 CLR 80 018/25/7/2825G40/958/ 
VSBY NW-NNW 60 MI SHWRS DSNT NW-NNW FEW CU/SC ALQDS 
PK WND 2940/50/ 8/800 56009 MANUAL 6000/ 10025 20021


SUMMARY FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY 17, 2016 
  
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....33   NORMAL.....33
MIN.....26   NORMAL.....17 
MEAN....30   NORMAL.....25

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL........................+5
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.......................+89 [+5.0 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............35   DEPARTURE..........-5
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............580   DEPARTURE.........-88
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........2236   DEPARTURE........-736
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......2784   DIFFERENCE.......-548

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................29  WNW  AT   3:07 A.M. 
                   ASOS........................25  WNW  AT   3:07 A.M. 
                   DAVIS.......................24  WNW  AT   2:52 A.M. RMY N/A
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................18  WNW  AT   2:53 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................18  WNW  AT   2:53 A.M.  
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................17  NW   AT   2:53 A.M.  
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION..............9.3 N
                   ASOS.......................9.5
                   DAVIS......................8.0 NNW [334 Deg.]

PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M....0.25  DEPARTURE......+0.10
                         ASOS..............0.23
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........3.03  DEPARTURE......+0.60
                         ASOS..............3.15
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR...........3.03  DEPARTURE......+0.60  
                         ASOS..............3.15

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M..........4.6  DEPARTURE.......+4.0
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................7.2  DEPARTURE.......-2.4
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON...............7.5  DEPARTURE......-17.1

PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR JANUARY CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATA REPORTED:
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/ PEAK GUST/ AERO/RMY GUST
AERO: Aerovane wind recording system gust
RMY:  R.M. Young wind gust recording system
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
....: Data not yet available, records not finalized

1/1   37/29/33/+6/0.00/0.0/005/01           29 W               RMY 29
1/2   37/27/32/+5/0.00/0.0/461/84           31 W               RMY N/A         
1/3   41/27/34/+8/0.00/0.0/501/91           28 W               RMY 29
1/4   30/10/20/-6/T/T/000/00                29 NNW             RMY 29
1/5   23/4/14/-12/0.00/0.0/552/100          28 NNW             RMY N/A
1/6   43/17/30/+4/0.00/0.0/553/100          24 SW              RMY 24
1/7   43/25/34/+8/0.00/0.0/521/94           21 SW              RMY N/A
1/8   40/28/34/+8/T/0.0/000/00              28 E   AERO 25 ENE RMY 25
1/9   39/36/38/+12/T/0.0/000/00             21 ENE AERO 20 ENE RMY N/A 
1/10  58/38/48/+23/1.55/0.0/000/00          53 SSE AERO 55 SSE RMY 53
1/11  48/21/35/+10/0.00/0.0/559/100         43 W   AERO 45 WSW RMY N/A
1/12  35/19/27/+2/..../.../359/64           30 SE  AERO N/A    RMY N/A
1/13  30/17/24/-1/..../.../551/98           50 W   AERO 58 W   RMY 54
1/14  28/17/23/-2/T/T/.../..                26 W   AERO N/A    RMY 25
1/15  40/23/32/+7/0.00/0.0/.../..           26 ESE AERO 25 ESE RMY 23
1/16  41/32/37/+12/1.03/T/.../..            32 NNW AERO 32 NNW RMY 28
1/17  33/26/30/+5/..../.../.../..           29 WNW AERO 28 WNW RMY N/A

1/18 low since midnight is 25F; normal low is now 17F  

DAILY RECORDS FOR JANUARY 2016

**1/10/16: NEW DAILY RECORD MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 58F, BREAKS
PREVIOUS RECORD OF 54F SET BACK IN 2000**

DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated): 

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 18
HIGH 62F IN 1973,1990
LOW -10F IN 1982
PRECIP 1.68 INS. IN 1915
SNOWFALL 13.0 INS. IN 1948
PEAK GUST 85 MPH SSE IN 2006

RECORDS FOR JANUARY 19
HIGH 59F IN 1973
LOW -11F IN 1887
PRECIP 2.34 INS. IN 1936
SNOWFALL 10.5 INS. IN 1936
PEAK GUST 93e MPH WNW IN 1943

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Brian Fitzgerald